Archive for May, 2009

This is a really fun Alexander Henry fabric from 1997. That year, my family hosted a Swedish journalist and quilter, Anita Fors. She was researching Swedish shipwrecks in the Great Lakes and I was the only person she knew (love those friendly internet quilters!) who lived close enough to help her out.

My kids and I traveled with her to each of the five Great Lakes within the span of a week, listening in on her interviews, eating Swedish foods in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where a surprising number of Swedish Americans told us tales of their Mormors (Grandmothers). She sent us off to dreamland at night telling us elaborate Swedish folktales.

Of course, we also went to quite a few quilt shops, adding to both our piles along the way. She thought this particular fabric was hilarious because, apparently, witches in Sweden ride their broomsticks with the straw part pointing in front of them. Together we bought about six yards. I still have my two.

I regret to say that I have lost track of Anita. If you’re out there, please let me know!

Digging through the pile this week, I’ve come up with some sweet things for a give-away which I will post next week. And not everything in my pile is a novelty, I promise. Stay tuned!

I found my next pair of shoes. These cuties are made of reclaimed rice bags. Don’t you think these are the perfect quilter’s shoes?! They’re Keen Harvest Mary Janes, and are available all over the internet.

Unless you wear a size 10 like me. Can’t seem to find a single pair anywhere.

I’m having a bout of Amy envy today. So many wonderful designers and bloggers named Amy. I love my own name and all, but some days I think I couldn’t help but be more productive my mother had just named me Amy.

It’s time to start digging deep into the pile o’ fabrics and pull out some Oldies-But-Goodies. To that end, I’ve decided to start a new Friday Featured Fabric Phenomenon. Eventually I’ll get to some give-aways and maybe some other fun stuff!

To kick it off, here is a cute novelty fabric by Becky Christian for Robert Kaufman. I can’t put an exact date on this fabric, but I’m sure that it’s at least 10 years old. I bought it because we used to have a crow family who were regulars in our yard. We called them the “Three Bad Crows,” and my kids created dialogs for them as they went about their business. We still do that when we see crows–they always look like they are plotting something, don’t they?

I can’t keep hoarding all this fabric forever. Time to get crackin’ using up this pile. I welcome any creative ideas that are sparked by the featured fabrics I post!

Finished with a week to spare before departure to Bad Camberg, Germany. I can’t believe how quickly this went together and quilted up! I love the results, too.

I would have liked to try some fancier quilting on all that cream but, being pressed for time, I fell back on my old friend Mr. Stipple. Or, in this case, I like to call him Herr Schtipple (good lord, I hope that doesn’t actually mean anything bad in German!)

Charisma and Posh–both by Chez Moi–blended nicely. Now I’m starting to eye the entire cabinet full of charm squares I have tucked away. But first, I have a couple of other projects I’m finishing up using all the time I allocated this week to complete this one!

My Little Hexies have grown up and moved away! I don’t think my DQS6 recipient has it in her hands yet, so I can’t spill the beans as to who she is. I really had fun piecing it. I’ll definitely do more English Paper Piecing after all these years of pooh-poohing it. In the early days of rotary cutters and chain-piecing techniques, it always seemed like way too much work.

I’m at a time in my life, however, when I can actually accomplish more doing a little handwork in spare moments–at the orthodontist, chaperoning bus trips, during lulls in housework or quiet times while the younger two are doing their school work. The results are really crisp and beautiful. I see a lot more hexies in my near future!

I’m still reeling over the fact that I have kids old enough to go to the prom. And kids who are old enough to skip the prom to go see the new Star Trek movie. Guess which is which . . .

Not necessarily the one I might have picked had I tried to predict in advance, actually:

Mark found an awesome vintage cashmere sports coat at a garage sale, and it happened to fit his lanky form perfectly. We worked from that to get him all dressed up and ready to enjoy the event. Next week, he’s off to Germany for his half of an exchange program. So I’m madly working on a nice quilt to send with him as a gift for his host family.

I took two different Chez Moi fabrics’ charm packs and some plain cream Kona to put this together. It has been a long time since I’ve worked with solid fabrics–especially cream or white, but the look has definitely come around again. I’m not entirely happy with the way it pieced, but I’m sure it will quilt out.